MYSTERY PLANE

Evening Star, Issue 20254, 15 August 1929, Page 9

MYSTERY PLANE

SCHNEIDER GUP RAGE .BRITISH MACHINE TRIED OUT. Pre.:.s Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, August 14. (Received August 15, at 10.40 a.m.) Piloting Britain’s mystery plane S 6 over the Schneider Cup course, Squad-ron-leader Orlobar several times exceeded 300 miles per hour.—United Service.

SATISFACTORY RESULTS. (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. RUGBY, August 11. (Received August 15, at noon.) Air Chief Marshal Sir John Sahnond spent to-day at Calshot amongst the members of the high-speed flight who are concerned with the race for the Schneider Cup. He embarked in a Southampton flying boat and went round the course over which the Schneider Cup race is to be flown. ■ Squadron-leader Orlebar took up the now SG machine built by Great Britain for the Schneider Chip race, and, flying at a great speed, completed its tests. The SG has been flown twice only before. On each occasion it was handled very gently. To-day the full power of its engine was tested. The results are believed to ho satisfactory

in every way. In taxing across the water tho SO evidently struck a small piece of driftwood or some other obstacle, and one of the floats was dented and the machine was taken to Woolston for repair. The damage is in no way serious, A MEDICAL PROBLEM. PILOTS AND CORNERING (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. RUGBY, August 14. (Received August 15, at noon.) There is a very distinct medical problem involved in high-speed cornering which is a feature of such a race as that for the Schneider Cup, which will bo flown over a quadrangular course. Group Captain Flack, of the Medical Research Section of the Air Ministry, who has specialised on the forces posed on the human frame in flying, discussed the subject at Calshot to-day. He said that more than is realised may depend upon pilots rounding the corners with the least loss of speed. If the turn is taken too wide fall speed may be maintained, but many more miles flown, yet on .the other hand a too sharp turn will slow down the machine, and what is equally important, impose terrific acceleration loads on tho pilot and the aircraft. These loads as the pilot swings round the corner tend to arrest the normal flow of blood to the brain and the eyes, so that if tho turn is too sharp everything tends to go black before tho pilot’s eyes, and in extreme cases momentary unconsciousness ensues. How sharp these turns can he made with safety depends therefore on the strength both of the aircraft and the human physique, and the object of much of tnis present practice is to establish limiting factors.